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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadBob Utley You Can Understand the Bible - Matthew 3:13 - 3:17
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NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: Mat_3:13-17
13Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14But John tried to prevent Him, saying "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" 15But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him. 16After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, 17and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased."
Mat_3:13 "Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him" The Gospels differ in their early chronologies of Jesus' ministries in Galilee and Judea. It seems that there was an early Judean ministry and a later one, but all four Gospels'chronologies must be harmonized in order to see this early Judean visit (cf. Joh_2:13 to Joh_4:3).
Why Jesus was baptized has always been a concern for believers because John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. Jesus did not need forgiveness for He was sinless (cf. Joh_8:46; Act_3:14; Rom_8:3; 2Co_5:21; Heb_4:15; Heb_7:26; 1Pe_2:22; 1Jn_3:5). The theories have been as follows:
1. it was an example for believers to follow
2. it was His identification with believers'need
3. it was His ordination and equipping for ministry
4. it was a symbol of His redemptive task
5. it was His approval of the ministry and message of John the Baptist
6. it was prophetic of His death, burial, and resurrection (cf. Rom_6:4; Col_2:12).
Whatever the reason, this was a defining moment in Jesus' life. Although it does not imply that Jesus became the Messiah at this point (adoptionism, cf. The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture by Bart D. Ehrman, pp. 47-118), it held great significance for Him.
Mat_3:14 "But John tried to prevent Him" This is an imperfect tense verb. Many commentators have struggled with why John tried again and again to prevent Jesus from being baptized. Some theories are:
1. some see this as John having previous knowledge of Jesus, but this conflicts with Joh_1:31; Joh_1:33
2. some see this as John acknowledging that Jesus was a righteous Jew, but not that He was the Messiah
3. in modern Near Eastern culture one must insist three times to be considered sincere
Mat_3:15 "But Jesus answering said to him" Mat_3:14-15 are found only in the Gospel of Matthew. They do not provide enough information to completely answer the question of Mat_3:14. It is certain, however, that the baptism had meaning both for Jesus and John and that it was God's will for both their lives.
Mat_3:16
NASB "Jesus came up immediately from the water"
NKJV "came up immediately from the water"
NRSV "just as he came up from the water"
TEV "Jesus came up out of the water"
NJB "he at once came up from the water"
This verse has been used by those who support immersion as the only biblical mode of baptism to prove that Jesus was immersed. However, it could be understood to mean that He went up on the bank out of the water (see Michael Magill, New Testament TransLine, p. 9, #35 and 36).
▣ "the heavens were opened" This is a metaphorical way of showing God's will (cf. Isa_22:22; Rev_3:7). Only God can open heaven (cf. Mal_3:10; Rev_4:1). God opens blind eyes (i.e., Mat_9:27-31; Mat_12:22-23; Mat_20:29-34; note Isa_29:18; Isa_35:5; Isa_42:7; Isa_42:16) and answers prayer (cf. Mat_7:7-8).
It is surely possible that this metaphor is from Isa_64:1.
▣ "and he saw" The Greek text has only the pronoun "he," which could refer to either John or Jesus. Some ancient Greek uncial manuscripts ( à cf8 i1, C, D, L, and W), some ancient translations (the Vulgate and Coptic), and the Greek texts used by early church fathers (Irenaeus, Eusebius, Chrysostom, Jerome, and Augustine) imply that only Jesus saw the dove coming, in the phrase "the heavens were opened to Him." However, the dove was also a sign to John to point out the true Messiah (cf. Joh_1:32).
▣ "the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him" This is recorded in all four Gospels (Mar_1:10; Luk_3:22; Joh_1:32). Was it like a dove or was it a real dove? The question cannot be fully answered (cf. Luk_3:22). This is related to Isa_11:2; Isa_42:1; Isa_48:16; Isa_61:1. The specific form of the Spirit is not as significant as the Spirit Himself coming upon Jesus. This does not imply that before this time Jesus did not have the Holy Spirit, but that this was a special inauguration of His Messianic task.
The symbolism of the dove has been discussed a great deal as to its origin and purpose.
1. it goes back to Genesis 1, where the Spirit brooded over the waters
2. it goes back to Genesis 8, where Noah sent a dove out from the ark
3. the rabbis said that the dove was a symbol of Israel (cf. Psa_68:13; Hos_7:11; Hos_11:11; The Talmud San. 95A and Ber. R. 39; 2Es_5:26)
4. Tasker, in the Tyndale New Testament Commentary Series, says that it refers to gentleness, which is to be contrasted with the fire in Mat_3:11 (cf. Rom_11:22; Mat_11:29; Mat_25:40).
Mat_3:17 "a voice out of the heavens" This phrase is significant for several reasons. During the inter-biblical period, when there was no true prophet, the rabbis said that God confirmed His choice and decisions by means of a bath kol, which was a voice from heaven. Also, this voice was a sign from God in a cultural way these first century Jews could understand (cf. Act_10:9-16; Act_11:7-9; Rev_1:10; Rev_4:1; Rev_10:8; Rev_11:12). It was apparently as meaningful to Jesus as it was to John and possibly to the crowd which observed His baptism.
The combination of the quote "My Son in whom I am delighted" links the royal Messianic, Davidic emphasis of Psa_2:7 with the Suffering Servant motif of Isa_42:1. Here, in this quote, the royal Messiah is linked to the Suffering Servant of Isaiah.
This phrase, "My Beloved Son" (also note Mat_17:5) is the possible origin of the phrase "Son of God," which is found in Mat_4:3; Mat_4:6. It is significant to note that in Mar_1:11 it was translated "You are My beloved Son," which showed that the Father directed His words to Jesus, while in Matthew 3, it was translated in such a way as to indicate that God spoke to John and the crowd. See Special Topic: Son of God at Mat_27:54.
Mat_3:16-17 involve all three persons of the Trinity. The term "trinity" is not in the Bible, but the concept is surely scriptural. The fact that the Bible asserts the oneness of God (monotheism, Deu_6:4) must be balanced with the deity of Jesus and the personality of the Spirit. There is one divine essence and three eternal personal manifestations. The three divine personalities are often mentioned in the same context (i.e., Mat_3:16-17; Mat_28:19; Act_2:33-34; Rom_8:9-10; 1Co_12:4-6; 2Co_1:21-22; 2Co_13:14; Eph_1:3-14; Eph_4:4-6; Tit_3:4-6; 1Pe_1:2).
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